2008 in Canada

Incumbents

Crown

• Monarch – Elizabeth III

  Federal government

• Governor general – Michaëlle Jean
• Prime minister – Stephen Harper
• Chief Justice – Beverley McLachlin
• Parliament – 39th then 40th

  Provincial governments

Lieutenant governors

• Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – Norman Kwong
• Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – Steven Point
• Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – John Harvard
• Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – Herménégilde Chiasson
• Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador – Edward Roberts then John Crosbie
• Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – Mayann Francis
• Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – David Onley
• Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – Barbara Oliver Hagerman
• Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Pierre Duchesne
• Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Gordon Barnhart

  Premiers

• Premier of Alberta – Ed Stelmach
• Premier of British Columbia – Gordon Campbell
• Premier of Manitoba – Gary Doer
• Premier of New Brunswick – Shawn Graham
• Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador – Danny Williams
• Premier of Nova Scotia – Rodney MacDonald
• Premier of Ontario – Dalton McGuinty
• Premier of Prince Edward Island – Robert Ghiz
• Premier of Quebec – Jean Charest
• Premier of Saskatchewan – Brad Wall

  Territorial governments

Commissioners

• Commissioner of Yukon – Geraldine Van Bibber
• Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Tony Whitford
• Commissioner of Nunavut – Ann Meekitjuk Hanson

  Premiers

• Premier of the Northwest Territories – Floyd Roland
• Premier of Nunavut – Paul Okalik then Eva Aariak
• Premier of Yukon – Dennis Fentie

  Events

January to March

• January 3 – In Montreal, a false bomb threat forces the closing of Victoria Bridge for four and a half hours.
• January 12 – A road accident near Bathurst, New Brunswick leaves eight people dead, including seven teenagers and one woman. They were all members of the Bathurst High School basketball team.
• January 15 – Europol Operation Koala arrests 9 Canadians in connection to an international paedophile ring.
• January 28 – CTV's Canada AM adds a second hosting team in western Canada, expanding the program to six hours and becoming the first morning television program in North America to air live in all time zones.
• February 11 – The first of three treatment facilities open in Halifax Regional Municipality a $400 million project to clean up the Halifax Harbour
• February 13 – An explosion occurs at a Taco del Mar on Broadway Street in Vancouver.
• February 20 – A large fire in Toronto, ON destroyed several buildings on the south side of Queen Street West, between Bathurst and Portland Streets.
• March – The Apple iPhone is expected to be released on Rogers Wireless service provider.
• March 3 – 2008 Alberta general election
• March 17 – Federal by-elections in Toronto Centre, Willowdale, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River and Vancouver Quadra.
• March 28 – The start of the 2008 Canadian Commercial Seal Hunt

  April to June

• April 5 – The Quebec City Armoury burns down.
• April 19 – Bowie Seamount on the British Columbia Coast becomes a Marine Protected Area.
• April 26 – The Toronto Transit Commission's union, the ATU Local 113 voted against a contract causing mayhem throughout the city as they gave only an hour's notice to Torontonians. Strike ended the day after when they were forced back to work through legislation. It also revived the debate as to whether the TTC is an essential service or not.
• May 30 – Maxime Bernier resigned from his federal cabinet post as Minister of Foreign Affairs, after a scandal where it was discovered that he had left confidential NATO briefing documents at the home of his former girlfriend, Julie Couillard. She was a former model who had past romantic links with members of the Hells Angels.
• June 11 – The federal government officially apologizes for the systematic abuses inflicted to Aboriginal children in the residential school system.
• June 14 – Howard Hampton announces his resignation from the leadership of the Ontario New Democratic Party, resulting in the commencement of the 2009 Ontario New Democratic Party leadership election.
• June 20 – Presidential candidate John McCain speaks before the Economic Club of Toronto.

  July to September

• July 1 – Chief of the Defence Staff General Rick Hillier's term is set to end; Hillier is replaced by Walter Natynczyk.
• August – 2008 Canadian listeriosis outbreak.
• August 10 – Toronto Explosions leaves 2 dead and thousands evacuate their homes.
• August 28 – The governor general announces the creation of the Sacrifice Medal.
• August 30 – The former Liberal MP Blair Wilson announces he is joining the Green Party of Canada, becoming the party's first MLA.
• September 7 – Stephen Harper issues the writs for the 2008 federal election. Federal by-elections which had been scheduled in Westmount—Ville-Marie, Saint-Lambert and Guelph for September 8 are pre-empted by the election call.
• September 19 – A fire, later confirmed as arson by two young offenders, destroys the historic Sudbury Steelworkers Hall in Sudbury, Ontario.
• September 29 – The S&P/TSX Composite Index drops by 840.93 points, the most in eight years, in reaction to the American financial crisis.

  October to December

• October 1 – French-language debate for federal party leaders
• October 2 – English-language debate for federal party leaders
• October 10 – 2008 British Columbia pipeline bombings: Letters were sent to local media outlets warning oil and gas companies to leave the area saying: "We will no longer negotiate with terrorists which you are as you keep endangering our families with crazy expansion of deadly gas wells in our home lands".
• October 12 – 2008 British Columbia pipeline bombings: An explosion occurred on a sour gas pipeline to the east of Dawson Creek British Columbia.
• October 14 – The 40th Canadian general election results in the Conservative Party of Canada holding the largest number of seats in the third consecutive minority Parliament. Stephen Harper remains Prime Minister.
• October 16 – 2008 British Columbia pipeline bombings: A second blast hit a natural gas pipeline. Workers discovered the blast site at approximately 10:00 a.m. MT off of British Columbia Highway 2.
• October 20 – Stéphane Dion announces his resignation as Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, effective upon the selection of his successor in May 2009.
• October 22 – Economic crisis of 2008: The Loonie drops below $.80US for the first time since mid-2005.
• October 31 – 2008 British Columbia pipeline bombings: A third bomb detonated at a natural gas wellhead in the region of Dawson Creek
• November 14 – Eva Aariak is selected as the new Premier of Nunavut at the Nunavut Leadership Forum in Iqaluit.
• December 1 – 2008 Canadian parliamentary dispute: The Liberal Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party sign an agreement to form a coalition government with the support of the Bloc Québécois if they are successful in ousting the Conservative minority government in a confidence vote.
• December 4 – The 40th Canadian Parliament is prorogued preventing the Liberal-NDP from ousting the Conservative minority government as planned.
• December 8 – 2008 Quebec general election
• December 10 – Michael Ignatieff becomes the interim leader of the Liberal Party, succeeding Stéphane Dion. He is expected to be ratified as permanent leader at the May 2009 Liberal leadership convention.
• December 28 – Two avalanches occur near Fernie killing 8 people and injuring 3 others.

  Arts and literature

• December 8 – Marc Mayer is appointed director of the National Gallery of Canada.

  Film

• March 3 – 28th Genie Awards

  Literature

Music

• April 6 – Juno Awards of 2008

  Television

Sport

• January 16 – January 20 – 2008 Canadian Figure Skating Championships
• * Men's medalists – Patrick Chan, Gold; Jeffrey Buttle, Silver; Shawn Sawyer, Bronze.
• * Women's medalists – Joannie Rochette, Gold; Mira Leung, Silver; Cynthia Phaneuf, Bronze.
• * Pairs' medalists – Anabelle Langlois / Cody Hay, Gold; Jessica Dubé / Bryce Davison, Silver; Meagan Duhamel / Craig Buntin, Bronze.
• * Dance medalists – Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir, Gold; Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje, Silver; Allie Hann-McCurdy / Michael Coreno, Bronze.
• February 11 – February 17 – 2008 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
• * Jeffrey Buttle won the silver medal in the men's singles division.
• * Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won the gold medal in Ice Dance.
• * Joannie Rochette won the silver medal in the woman's singles division.
• March 17 – March 23 – 2008 World Figure Skating Championships
• * March 19 – Jessica Dubé/Bryce Davison won the bronze medal in pairs.
• * March 21 – Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir won the silver medal in Ice Dancing.
• * March 22 – Jeffrey Buttle won the gold medal and became World Champion in Men's singles.
• March 22 – March 30 – The 2008 World Women's Curling Championship was held at the Wesbild Centre in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. Jennifer Jones' rink from Canada won the gold medal and became World Champions.
• April 4 – April 14 – The 2008 World Men's Curling Championship is held at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Kevin Martin's rink from Canada won the gold medal and became World Champions.
• April 30 – 2008 CFL Draft: Moose Jaw native and Saskatchewan Huskies Canadian football player Dylan Barker is chosen first-overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
• May 25 – Spokane Chiefs won their Second Memorial Cup by defeating the Kitchener Rangers 4 to 1. The Entire tournament was played at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium
• July 19 – August 3 – 2008 Rogers Cup Canada Masters Tennis Tournament: Men's event held in Toronto, women's event held in Montreal.
• September 10 – Jeffrey Buttle retires from competitive figure skating.
• September 19 – Laval, Quebec's El Generico and Marieville, Quebec's Kevin Steen won their First ROH Tag Team Championship by defeating at the Boston University for Ring of Honor's Driven 2008
• November 22 – Laval Rouge et Or won their Fifth Vanier Cup by defeating the Western Ontario Mustangs 44 to 21 in the 44th Vanier Cup played at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton
• November 23 – Calgary Stampeders won their Sixth Grey Cup by defeating the Montreal Alouettes 22 to 14 in the 96th Grey Cup played at Olympic Stadium at Montreal. Niagara Falls, Ontario's Sandro DeAngelis was awarded the game's Most Outstanding Canadian

  Deaths

January

• January 1 – Stefanie Rengel, age 14, is stabbed to death. David Bashaw, 17, and Melissa Todorovic, 15, were both tried as adults. Convicted of first-degree murder, they received life sentences.
• January 3 – Milt Dunnell, sportswriter
• January 4 – Mort Garson, electronic musician
• January 5 – John Ashley, referee in the National Hockey League
• January 10 – Allan McEachern, lawyer, judge and university chancellor
• January 11 – Murray Cohl, film producer, co-founder of the Toronto Film Festival and Canada's Walk of Fame
• January 19 – Don Wittman, sportscaster
• January 20 – Talivaldis Kenins, composer
• January 21 – Pam Barrett, politician
• January 22 – Mike Cacic, football player for BC Lions

  February

• February 2 – Barry Morse, actor
• February 15 – Willie P. Bennett, folk music singer-songwriter
• February 16 – Harry Flemming, journalist
• February 17
• *Bill Juzda, ice hockey player
• *Val Ross, writer and journalist
• February 18 – Mickey Renaud, junior ice hockey center
• February 23 – Denis Lazure, politician
• February 28 – Milt Harradence, lawyer, pilot, politician and judge
• February 29 – Ralph Hansch, Olympic ice hockey player

  March

• March 2 – Jeff Healey, jazz and blues-rock guitarist and vocalist
• March 8 – Donald C. MacDonald, politician
• March 9 – Simon Reisman, civil servant and chief negotiator of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement
• March 11 – J. I. Albrecht, manager and director in the CFL
• March 15 – Ken Reardon, ice hockey defenceman
• March 18 – Geoffrey Pearson, diplomat
• March 21 – George Gross, sports journalist, founding sports editor of the Toronto Sun
• March 24 – Sherri Wood, journalist
• March 28 – Lorne Ferguson, ice hockey player

  April

• April 1 – Jake Warren, diplomat, Canadian Ambassador to the United States
• April 10 – Francis Coleman, conductor, television producer and director
• April 22 – Ed Chynoweth, president of the Western Hockey League and CHL
• April 23
• *Martha Kostuch, environmentalist
• *Don Gillis,
• April 24 – Harry Geris, Olympic wrestler
• April 26 – Henry Brant, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer
• April 30 – Allan Sparrow, activist and Toronto city councillor

  May

• May 3 – Charles Caccia, politician
• May 9 – Arthur Kroeger, civil servant, academic and chancellor of Carleton University
• May 11 – John Rutsey, drummer
• May 17
• *Joyce Trimmer, politician and first female mayor of Scarborough, Ontario
• *D. Aubrey Moodie, politician
• May 19 – Jack Duffy, actor and comedian
• May 20 – Cy Leonard, ventriloquist
• May 29 – Luc Bourdon, ice hockey player

  June

• June 2 – Sheela Basrur, medical doctor and Chief Medical Officer of Health in Ontario
• June 3 – Pat Egan, ice hockey defenceman
• June 4 – Jack Byrne, member of Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, mayor of LB-MC-OC
• June 6 – Edwin Tchorzewski, politician
• June 8 – Charles-Noël Barbès, politician and lawyer
• June 11
• *James Reaney, poet, playwright and literary critic
• *Brian Budd, soccer player
• June 15 – Ray Getliffe, ice hockey player
• June 20 – Bea Firth, politician
• June 21 – William Vince, film producer, Academy Award nominee
• June 25 – Bill Robinson, ice hockey player
• June 30 – Arthur Ryan Smith, serviceman, politician and Order of Canada recipient

  July

• July 3 – Oliver Schroer, fiddler, composer and music producer
• July 6 – Bob Ackles, executive for the CFL's BC Lions
• July 14 – Lawrence Ytzhak Braithwaite, novelist, spoken word artist, dub poet, essayist and musician
• July 16 – Peanuts O'Flaherty, ice hockey player
• July 21 – Sidney Craig, entrepreneur and thoroughbred horse owner, co-founder of Jenny Craig, Inc.
• July 22 – Helen Gardiner, philanthropist and co-founder of the Gardiner Museum
• July 23 – N. Robin Crossby, game designer, creator of Hârn role-playing system
• July 25 – Joseph Gérard Lauri P. Landry, businessman, senator
• July 27 – Fenwick Lansdowne, wildlife artist
• July 30
• *Leif Pettersen, footballer and sportscaster
• *Tim McLean, homicide victim
• *Vittorio Fiorucci, graphic artist

  August

• August 2 – Geoffrey Ballard, businessman and fuel cell scientist, founder of Ballard Power Systems
• August 5 – Daniel L. Norris, commissioner of the Northwest Territories
• August 6 – Reg Whitehouse, football player
• August 10 – Lee Clark, politician, MP for Brandon—Souris
• August 12 – Gilles Bilodeau, National Hockey League and World Hockey Association player
• August 28 – Michel Vastel, journalist and columnist
• August 30
• *Eldon Rathburn, composer
• *Killer Kowalski, professional wrestler

  September

• September 1 – Thomas J. Bata, businessman
• September 4
• *Jerome Weber, abbot of St. Peter-Muenster of Saskatchewan
• *Erik Nielsen, deputy prime minister, brother of Leslie Nielsen
• *Erik Nielsen, politician
• September 6 – Allan Lawrence, politician and Minister
• September 7 – Larry Shaben, politician, member of Legislative Assembly of Alberta
• September 9 – Richard Monette, actor and director
• September 10 – Gérald Beaudoin, lawyer and senator
• September 11 – Bennett Campbell,
• September 13 – James W. Snow, politician, member of Legislative Assembly of Ontario
• September 15 – Marion Dewar, politician, mayor of Ottawa
• September 18 – Peter Kastner, actor
• September 23 – Brock McElheran, conductor and composer
• September 25 – Ralph Sazio, football coach

  October

• October 4 – Saul Laskin, politician and 1 Mayor of Thunder Bay
• October 9 – Milan Kymlicka, arranger, composer and conductor
• October 11 – Nelson Symonds, jazz guitarist
• October 12 – Leo Major, soldier
• October 17 – Ben Weider, bodybuilding promoter and Napoleon scholar
• October 18 – Charley Fox, pilot credited with strafing Erwin Rommel's car
• October 27
• *Louis Secco, Olympic gold medal-winning ice hockey player
• *Charles Dubin, lawyer and former Chief Justice of Ontario

  November

• November 1 – Oscar Lathlin, politician
• November 2 – Jim Koleff, hockey player and coach
• November 5 – Norm Marshall, broadcaster
• November 12 – George Morrison, ice hockey player
• November 17
• *Pete Newell, basketball coach
• *Debby oldest living polar bear, third-oldest known bear
• November 24
• *Ray Perrault, politician
• *Kenny MacLean, bassist
• *Bep Guidolin, ice hockey player and coach
• November 24 – Tom Burgess, baseball player and coach
• November 27 – William Landymore, naval officer
• November 30 – Pit Martin, ice hockey player

  December

• December 1 – Betty Goodwin, artist
• December 2 – Edward Samuel Rogers, businessman, CEO of Rogers Communications and owner of the Toronto Blue Jays
• December 9 – Brenda Leipsic, politician
• December 14 – Hank Goldup, ice hockey player
• December 15 – Mike Blum, football player
• December 16 – Joe Krol, football player
• December 21 – James Fulton, politician, Member of Parliament for Skeena
• December 24 – Gordon Fairweather, politician, Member of Parliament for Royal, New Brunswick